


Lucky Colour

by Deanne Gabriel (youtomyme)



Series: The Cherry Tree [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M, Fae & Fairies, Prequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-12
Updated: 2016-05-12
Packaged: 2018-06-07 23:30:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6829864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youtomyme/pseuds/Deanne%20Gabriel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Green was Marie's lucky colour, and with her reckless disposition, she needed all the luck she could get. A prequel to <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/5918242">The Cherry Tree</a>, which is best read first.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lucky Colour

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for the Fandom Weekly theme 'Superstition', but I decided to withdraw this entry, and went on to post it on Runaway Tales under the flavour 'Strawberry Banana #8: Good luck charm'.

Marie always loved pretty things. Of course, to her sparkling eyes, the world was full of beautiful things that she yearned to see and touch for herself. This was probably why she was constantly getting into trouble for it.

On this particular day, for example, she had been picking flowers on the bank of a river when a glint from the river that could not have come from the sun - overcast as it was today - caught her eye.

Kindly people often called Marie ‘a brave young woman’. The less charitable might say something like ‘completely off her rocker’.

Despite her long skirts, she was up a persimmon tree by the bank and out on a branch in a flash. The bough hung over the river and bent dangerously under her weight, but her only thought was delight in the fact that it was bringing her closer. It curved lower, and she stretched out her fingers. A little lower, her fingers dipped underneath the surface - and the rest of her followed in a splash.

The water was shockingly cold. Her treasure had been resting on a submerged rock, and the river was deeper than the boulder made it look. Her body collided against it, bruising her side, before she was sent into the depths. In another moment, she might have been gone lost from the world, but a strong arm gripped her around the middle and hauled her out.

Straight into the air. If she had not been gasping for air, she might have shouted.

‘You ridiculous girl, what in the worlds did you do that for?’ Her saviour’s voice was deep, rich, and full of fury. ‘I never thought watching a human could be so - so _dramatic_!’

Despite his tone, he set her down on the bank quite gently. By this time, Marie had coughed enough air back into her lungs to say, ‘Who told you to go human-watching in the first place?’

‘Don’t give me that. I just _saved_ you!’ 

‘You didn’t have to do that.’

‘What a thing to say! Tell me what you dived into the water to get.’

Marie raised an eyebrow as she squeezed water out of her hair. Her rescuer was tall and handsome, his features delicate, though the expression on them was not by any stretch. But Marie had never been afraid of anything or anyone, not even a fairy, now that she was seeing one in real life for the first time. He loomed over her, blocking out the sun save for the rays of light that penetrated through his almost translucent wings. ‘Why should I tell you?’

‘I’d like to know whether or not I should throw you back into the river.’

She tossed her head back to look at him. To her satisfaction, droplets of water flew from her long hair and smacked him in the face. He flinched, but his grim look never faltered.

‘Tell me your name and I’ll show you.’

‘ _Show_ me?’ he said with disbelief. ‘You actually managed to acquire it?’

‘Of course. I never do anything by halves.’

‘Clearly,’ he snorted. ‘Very well, but you must tell me your name as well.’

‘Fine. What’s your name?’

‘Diospyros.’

‘That’s lovely,’ she said, startling him. ‘My name is Marie. I wanted to get this from the river.’ She showed him the shiny green pebble she had so nearly lost her life for.

‘Is that all?’ he said, as cold as the river.

‘I wouldn’t have bothered if there had been more. It wouldn’t have been special.’

‘Very well then. I’m going to put you back into the river, are you ready?’

‘Green is my colour, Diospyros,’ she said sternly. ‘It brings me good luck.’

‘Not in this instance. It nearly killed you.’

‘No it didn’t. It brought you to me.’

‘Marie.’ Diospyros’ tone was flat. ‘You are completely mad.’

‘I thought you’d be pleased by the compliment,’ she said, feeling hurt. ‘Didn’t you say you were watching me?’

‘I -‘ He scowled. ‘I was here, and you were too.’

‘Exactly.’ She stood up and smiled. ‘Alright Diospyros, in return for all you’ve done for me, I’ll go on a date with you.’

‘Wh-what?’ His face blushed the colour of Marie’s scarlet hair. 

‘That’s what you want, isn’t it? I’m a fair girl, Diospyros. Anyway …’ Her smile became shy. ‘I want to see you again too.’

‘I give in.’ The line of his shoulders finally relaxed, and Marie wondered if it was the shadow of a smile that she saw on his lips. She wanted to discover how to draw it out, to make him look at her warmly. ‘Give me your little lucky charm.’

‘Can’t you take my word for it, Diospyros?’

‘I’ll give it back in a moment.’

She dropped it into his open palm. With a finger, Diospyros traced a complicated pattern on its surface. For a moment, she saw it as clearly as if he had inscribed it, and then it faded away.

‘When you want to see me, you only need to touch this and think of me,’ he said, handing it back.

‘Now this really is my lucky charm.’ She put it into her pocket and blew him a kiss. ’Til we meet again, my angel.’

‘ _Excuse_ me?’

Marie ran off, laughing. It was only later that she realised the tree that had sent her into the river had disappeared when Diospyros had lifted her out.

-

Since then, Marie used her charm numerous times to call him, always in secret, so no one would know. The last time she did so, she was leaning out of her open bedroom window, the cold air drying the tear stains on her face. He appeared almost immediately.

‘Marie, what’s wrong?!’ he said when he saw her face. ‘What -‘

‘Diospyros,’ she said, swallowing a hiccup. ‘Will you take me away from here? Please?’

‘To the Fae Realm?’

‘Yes.’

‘Of course.’ He folded her into a fierce embrace, and they disappeared into the night.


End file.
